Fifty-one-year old Arthur Dexter, a city businessman, is deeply shocked by the sudden death of his friend, Willie Boothroyd. The tragedy forces him to reassess his life and he realises he is dominated by the tedium of everyday concerns. To his wife's horror, he buys a block of flats and a small beach café at Whitecliffs-by-the-Sea. He then invites a group of people he They all have their own reasons for escaping from London, but the exhilarating sea air and change of scene gives the group renewed vigour and enthusiasm, until, by the end of the summer, each one of them has found an unexpected solution to their problems.